The present invention relates to a laminate such as could be used as a loop material for a hook and loop fastener having at least one sheet of flexible fibrous web material intermittently extrusion bonded to a structured backing, which backing is generally a film. The invention further relates to methods for producing these laminates.
Fibrous laminates for use as loops and the like formed by lamination of nonwovens to films are known. Such laminates are used often in disposable garments and articles where a fibrous surface is desired. To create a loftier fibrous surface the fibrous material is often intermittently bonded to the backing. With elastic laminates this is desired so as to allow the laminate to more easily extend. For loop laminates intermittent bonding is desired to keep the fibrous material open for attachment of a suitable hook. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,122 a backing of orientable material is provided in a dimensionally unstable state. A plurality of filaments are secured to the backing at spaced, fixed regions along each of the filaments. The fixed regions define between each pair of fixed regions, an unsecured catching region. The orientable material recovers along one direction to its dimensionally stable state thereby shirring the filaments at the catching regions to form fibrous elements projecting from the backing between the fixed regions. This is used as a loop fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,531 describes forming a loop by a method comprising the steps of providing a first lamina comprising an elastomeric, pressure-sensitive adhesive film having a first adhesive surface and a second adhesive surface opposed to said first adhesive surface; a relaxed orientation and an elongated orientation; stretching said first lamina from said relaxed orientation to said elongated orientation; contacting a second lamina comprising a nonwoven web with said first surface of said first lamina in said elongated orientation, thereby directly joining said second lamina and said first lamina to form a laminate; and relaxing said first lamina such that said second lamina is shirred to form catching regions capable of entangling the hooks of a complementary male fastening component.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,567 also uses a nonwoven web, which is preferably joined with a backing while the backing is in its elongated unstable orientation. Construction bonds form a bond pattern joining the nonwoven web to the backing. When the backing is contracted from its elongated orientation to its relaxed orientation, the unsecured regions of the nonwoven web become shirred and extend outwardly from the backing to form catching regions that are capable of entangling the engaging elements of a complementary male fastening component.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,231 describes a method of providing a sheet of loop material adapted to be cut into pieces to form loop portions for fasteners of the type comprising releaseably engageable hook and loop portions and incorporated into items such as disposable garments or diapers. The sheet of loop material includes a sheet of longitudinally oriented fibers having anchor portions and arcuate portions projecting in one direction away from the anchor portions, and a layer of thermoplastic backing material extruded onto the anchor portions to bond to the anchor portions forming at least a portion of a backing for the loop material.